Kenneth W. Masters

Ken Masters has been litigating civil appeals for over 30 years. He regularly practices in all of Washington's appellate courts: the three Divisions of the Washington State Court of Appeals (Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane); the Federal 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco); and the Washington (Olympia) and United States (Washington, D.C.) Supreme Courts. Ken is a Sustaining Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers (since 2010).

Ken is honored to have been repeatedly listed as a "Top 10" (2017-2023, "ranked #1" in 2019) and "Top 100" Washington attorney and Super Lawyer® (since 2000). He has been recognized as "Lawyer of the Year" both by The Appellate Lawyers® (2023) and by Best Lawyers in America® for Seattle appeals (2022). He has also received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from America's Top 100 Attorneys®.

Ken's hundreds of civil appeals have concerned virtually every significant legal subject matter, from adverse possession to zoning, and even to ZZ Top (copyright infringement). Specific appeals include constitutional law (e.g., First Amendment and civil rights issues); contracts and other business matters; corporations (including corporate disregard); debtor and creditor; employment law; family law; injunctions; insurance coverage; landlord/tenant; new trial issues; products liability; professional malpractice (legal and medical); property disputes of all sorts (including land use, mortgages, and real estate transactions); statutes; secured transactions; securities; torts (including complex personal injury); trusts and estates (including wills); workers compensation; and of course complex civil and appellate jurisdictional and procedural questions.

In addition to serving his clients faithfully, Ken has long served his profession and the public. He has chaired and/or presented at dozens of CLEs on appellate practice, writing, ethics, and many substantive legal areas. He served on the WSBA Board of Governors (including as Treasurer); chaired numerous state and local bar committees and a task force; and served as Trustee and as President of the Washington State Bar Foundation. He has long served as Contributing Editor for the WASHINGTON APPELLATE PRACTICE DESKBOOK, most recently rewriting the brief writing chapter for the 4th Edition. And he is a past President (and current Emeritus Board member) of Earshot Jazz, which presents the premier northwest Seattle Jazz Festival.